(Yomi the HuGoblin Has Issued A Quest)

  (Eliminate the Kobolds around this area and free the animal trapped within their camp)

  Kobolds (32/62). Kobold Bone Warrior (3/10). Robe Kobold (0/3). Kobold King (0/1)

  (Reward: Dancer Sword (Rare))

  (Reward: Blade Dancer Skill Option)

  “Quiet convenience, isn’t it?” Benedict asked, drawing his spear off a Kobold throat, the creature fell sideways, leaving a smear of blood along the tree trunk. “For you to be here? What are you? Do you know anything about the tutorial?”

  “Tutorial? No, I don’t. I told you already, I’m Yomi of the Hu Tribe, I’m here to save the animals and hunt down Kobold.”

  Kobold's body littered the ground around Benedict. This is the second group they had faced. A third one if he counted the first group he took down by himself. The fight is very easy, unbelievably so. The party worked well, and everyone had a clear role assigned to them. And now with this HuGoblin's help, things will get more dull.

  “We got a quest to kill a Goblin to advance,” Gilbert barked. The man raised his Bone Sword he had just earned, toward the HuGoblin.

  Benedict rolled his eyes, and Pax let out an exasperated sigh at Gilbert.

  “What?” The blue-haired man asked.

  “Why did you tell him that, you fool?” Clerence, the mage, shook her head, massaging her temple.

  “Oh!” Gilbert's mouth gaped open, and then they drew a thin line. He turned toward the Goblin again. “You will not deceive us! I’m not joining the party.”

  “You can ask your friend. Nothing happened to him,” Yomi said. His eyes gazed toward Benedict, his eyes begging.

  ‘Please tell them, I mean no harm’

  ‘Ugh,’

  Yomi raised his eyebrow. And Benedict inwardly stifled a groan. Right, they talk through minds.

  ‘I will try’

  ‘Thank you, Benedict.’

  “Nothing happened to me, Pax.” He straight addressed Paxwell, who is the leader, not Gilbert. “I think it's safe for you guys to enter the party. I got a quest promising a rare sword. Do you guys have one?”

  “Wait, Seriously?” Gilbert asked.

  Party Member:

  Yomi. Lvl 15

  Benedict. Lvl 26

  Gilbert. Lvl 9

  “I got it, too,” Gilbert exclaimed. Then he stared at Yomi, who in turn gulped nervously.

  Benedict had wondered why this one acted so timid; he’s far from helpless.

  “The sword, you got more than one of them?”

  “Yes, this sash,” Yomi motioned to it, tied around his hip. “It's actually a spatial storage, here… Let me show you.” He tapped it. Blue wisps of light appeared, they formed into a needle-like sword, then dissipated, leaving a black sword sheathed and attached to his sash.

  “That is something…” Benedict muttered. He wanted that sash. Everything will be much more convenient with it, and what kind of treasure is hidden in this thing?

  Smiling, Benedict slung his arm around Yomi's neck. He tapped the Goblin back in a friendly manner, like they were some old pal. “See? I told you. Nothing happened to me, if anything, he wanted to help,” he said as he kept his mind blank not to tip off Yomi.

  ‘Thank you!’ The goblin sends a thought.

  ‘Of course’

  A knife flourish from Benedict left arm behind Yomi, as he was about to bring it to the creature - a hand shot up, grabbing his arm, Paxwell’s arm. The old man took the knife and slid it inside his own sleeve.

  Yomi turned, shooting a curious glance at Paxwell.

  “Yomi was it? I shall join your party too, then, Clerence too.” Paxwell gave a handshake to which Yomi smiled brightly and took it. So full of life, this one.

  Party Member:

  Yomi. Lvl 15

  Benedict. Lvl 26

  Gilbert. Lvl 9

  Clerence. Lvl 9

  Paxwell. Lvl 9

  ‘All right! With this, we’re set!’ Yomi gleefully said

  ‘This is cool, a telepathy, huh?’ Gilbert's voice echoed inside his mind.

  ‘I assume this had something to do with mind stat?’ Clerence asked.

  Benedict drowned out the voices; he could retreat to his thoughts if he wanted it. Someone tapped his shoulder, and he turned to see Paxwell motioning him to follow.

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  They went behind a tree, safe from the three, who were exchanging communication through telepathy.

  “What are you thinking?” The old man removed Benedict’s knife, handing it to him.

  “He’s a monster,” Benedict shrugged, taking it.

  “Yet, he’s a he?”

  “That’s right,” He smiled.

  “You’re trouble, lads. Yet, too good not to use. That’s why Rino, the weakest one, is not here with you.”

  “Oh? So you chose the strongest to keep me in check?”

  “More like those who work well together. I was hoping that showing how smoothly we took down the Kobold would make you cooperate more. But that’s not the problem, isn’t it? You just wanted blood, a challenge. What was that earlier? Going by yourself against four”

  “We stumbled upon each other,” Benedict shrugged. Of course, it’s a lie.

  (Quest issued: Bone Warrior)

  (You hold the highest kill on Kobolds. In honor of such achievement, the Path of Bone Warrior shall be granted to you. If you can eliminate the rest of them while achieving the highest kill count.)

  Kobolds (32/62). Kobold Bone Warrior (5/10). Robe Kobold (0/3). Kobold King (0/1)

  (Reward: Path of Bones Dragon)

  (Reward: Class Change to Bone Initiate Upon Quest Acceptance)

  (Reward: Bones Skill Option)

  Paxwell has been saying something, something about teamwork or whatever. He had heard it countless times from those doctors, so it was especially easy to drown out, of course, added with this class change quest too.

  “Hey, Paxwell?”

  “What is it, kid?” He sighed, as he obviously knew Benedict hadn’t been listening.

  “I think I will try to work together.”

  Accept.

  “Look! The Goblin kill had not advanced at all. We have to eventually deal with them once we're done with the Kobolds,” Emily whispered, her breath blowing against Rue's hair. Rue just now noticed Emily have a tendency to be overtly careful, Rita is pretty much a glade away from them, and still Emily had to have her lips by his ear.“ What if we had to hunt these HuGoblins eventually?”

  “That will be suck,” Rue grunted as he watched Rita, who talked with Rino across from them. The Goblin seemed so eager to talk with a human. And Rino is on a happy streak, especially since he had increased two levels at once earlier. Now, especially being at a party, made him able to level up more efficiently.

  “That is a good point, Rue,” Alquin added. The old man leaned against the trunk, looking up at them. Emily had insisted that they be hidden by tree leaves also.

  “I know that, and I planned to kill her earlier. But, when she threw down her swords and I had my Bone Sword by her throat… It’s just not right.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” Emily shook her head, her yellow hair whipping at Rue's forehead.

  He scowled at him. “Oh? And you will kill her if you were in my position, then?”

  “Well, no,” She admitted with her gaze downward.

  “But, I must admit,” Alquin started. “The advantage of having her is incredible. This quest of hers goes hand in hand with ours. And Rino will be a reliable fighter after we’re done with our hunt. Also, now you can take it easy, Rue, and heal your Magic vein. And of course, this rare sword reward”

  “And that sash,” Rue pointed out. “She agreed to carry our earlier loot; we would have to leave most of it had it not been for her.”

  ‘Kobold!, Kobold!’ Rita's Voice invades their mind.

  Emily stood beside him, steadying herself with the trunk. “I make out six, but there’s probably more… Do I need to climb up?” She asked Alquin below.

  ‘Hide! The Robe Kobolds are here.’

  “Alquin, come up here,” Rue extended his hand down to the Old man. Alquin climbed, and Rue hoisted him up the tree. They’re at a perfect hiding place. Emily had chosen it for the sole fact of hiding from Rita.

  ‘You two are good?’ Rue asked, trying to spot both of them, but he couldn’t find any sign of them, although earlier he had just been keeping his eye on both. And more importantly, they were behind. Rue’s group is the closest to the Kobold Camp, and yet the Kobolds manage to sneak into their back?

  ‘Yes, we’re under bush,’ Rino said. ‘The Kobolds did not notice us; they seemed to be going straight ahead.’

  ‘What? Not to their camp? How many were there?’ Emily asked.

  ‘One Robe Kobold, Ten Normal Kobolds, Three Bone Warriors,’ Rita answered.

  ‘Robe Kobold?”

  ‘They’re Kobold that uses magic,’ Rita explained.

  ‘I think they’re on their way toward Eve and Yom!’ Rino exclaimed, And rue winced from the slight headache caused by it.

  ‘You sure?” Rue asked. ‘That seemed like a stretch.’

  ‘Well… no’

  ‘So what is the plan, Al?’ Emily nudged Alquin.

  ‘We fight’

  This time they are going to charge together. But Rue’s target is none other than the Magic user, the Robe Kobold.

  The Robe Kobold, in some ways, reminded him of himself and other mages when they first teleported; it wore a robe that extended to its feet. There’s nothing special about it, except that it hunched back like some elderly person and carried a staff. A staff with which he hoped not a magic amplifier or something close.

  “This felt like they’re preparing for a huge fight,” Rue whispered as he crouched by a bramble of grasses. Besides him, Rino and Rita, he and Alquin decided to join them. Four charging against fourteen, what could go wrong?

  “All right, Emily is in position,” Alquin said. He stood by a tree where Emily was on top of. “We kill the Robe Kobold and all Bone Warriors at first try, all right?”

  Alquin continued. “Their positioning is always the same. The normal Kobolds are forward, while the others are on their back. So, no fancy spell to warn them. We kill them knife in the back.” The old man has sheathed his axe on his belt and switched to a spear in one arm. “There are four of us, so each kills their target, then we deal with the normal Kobolds together. Does anyone have any complaints?”

  ‘To make it clear, my priority is to shoot the Robe one, right? Just in case Rue missed the kill.’ Emily asked telephatically.

  ‘Yes, if he took it down, no problem, then move to Bone Warriors’’

  ‘I think I’ll need help more,’ Rino said. He fidgeted around, pushing thorny bramble into Rue’s face.

  “You can do this,” Rue muttered through the scratchy sensation. But he did not even hear him as his breathing got quicker and quicker.

  As Rue was about to find another word to comfort him, Alquin shouted inside their mind. ‘Let’s go!’

  Rue flinched at the sudden voices. Rino let out a bit of a grunt, massaging his head. After this, he will need to have a talk so no one will scream straight into their freaking head.

  They sneaked forward, leaving their safe haven of bushes. Rue's heart quickened as he heard the bushes make a loud sway. He zeroed in on the Kobold backs, and they did not notice. Letting out a deep breath, he saw Alquin holding up one hand, motioning them to go forward.

  Rita led the way; her step was silent even though it looked like she was running. She’s natural at sneaking in.

  ‘Maybe Rita should take the Robe Kobold?’ Rue brought up.

  ‘I can. It’s the most dangerous.’

  ‘All right then, Rue, you took over Rita's target.’

  ‘Got it’

  He moved slightly to the left corner, step by step, closing his distance. Rita, who’s close now, began crawling on her stomach, her skin blending in with the grasses. And her dress took on the ground color under the night light.

  ‘I have to wait for you humans, right?’ She asked.

  Rue doubled his step, trying to reach where Rita was. Alquin and Rino did the same.

  ‘Yes,’ Alquin said. ‘We’re close’

  ‘Can’t let them go too far. Or I might miss my shot,’ Emily reminded softly.

  Rue reached beside Rita, they’re about six meters away,

  ‘You got a clear shot, Em?” Rue asked.

  ‘Yes to the Robe Kobold and two Bone Warriors. My shot should be fine.’

  Rue looked at Alquin, who arrived after him, then Rino shortly. “All right, Ready?” Alquin looked left and right at all of them.

  Rue gave a thumbs-up.

  “Let's go,” The Old man charged forward. And they were one step behind, just then – The Robe Kobold turned its head toward them.